soeeibel



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

A'. SCH-EIB-EL. ToRPEDo LAUNGHING APPARATUS.' No. 472,553. l Patented Apr. 12,- 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheetl 2.

A. SCHEIBBL. 'BORPEDO LAUNGHING- APPARATUS.

-R'Patented Apr. 12, .1892.

ma sums FUER: co., muvo-uma., wAsmnsmn, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l ADOLF SCIIEIBEL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERLINER MASGI-IINENBAU AOTIEN-GESELLSGHAFT, VORMALS L. SOHYVARTZKOPFF,

OF SAME PLACE. v.

TORPEDO-LAUNCHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,553, dated April 12, 1892.

ApplicationledDecember 10, 1890.3 Serial No. 374,203. (No model.) Patented in Germany October 16, 1890, No. 56,673; in Italy November 6,1890,No. 28,531, and in Englandllovember 20, '1890,N0. 18,793. v

To aZZ whom it may'concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLF SCHEIBEL, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and a resident of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo- Launching Apparatus, (for which my atssignees have obtained patents in Germany, No. 56,673, dated October 16, 1890; in Italy, No. 28,531, dated November 6, 1890, and -in Great Britain, No. 18,7 93, dated November 20,) 1890, of which the following is a full and exact specification.

The object of this invention is an out-board revoluble guide-beam for subaquatic broadside tubes, which allows the launching-tubes hitherto employed for subaquatic bow armatures to be also -used for broadside torpedoes. Owing to the improved construction of guidebeam, ordinary plain tubes, partial or plain boX pieces may be used, corresponding to the space at disposal within the vessel, with the application of the sluice-slides heretofore em,- ployed or of any other convenient closing agent. Moreover, this construction of the guide-beam is conductive to effecting the greatest possible economyin space for the appurtenant launching-tube, with avoidance of all complicate mechanism, which must necessarily be in connection with the launchingtube proper for the outward movement of guide-beams adapted to be shifted out. A further material moment of the present improvement is constituted by the great facility of loosening the encumbering guide-beam in the case of average.

In order to make my invention more clear,

I refer to the accompanying sheets of drawt taken on the lin'e N N of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a front View of a portion of the guide-beam. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the beam drawn to'an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 illustrates the fork serving for connecting the pushing-bar with the guide-beam, taken on the line L L of Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. S repy resents the turning-hinge of the guide-beam with packed turning-pivot d ladapted to be drawn out, taken on the line D D of Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Guide-beam Z) is generally of a trilateral prismatic' shape and laid into the broadside of the vessel, where it is lodged in a wood block h, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 3. The beam is provided with a T-shaped guide-slot b. In the latter the torpedo is guided by means of a correspondingly-shaped guide pin or projection. The beam itself is broken through in orderto afford the torpedo a uniform down-drift when released, and it is furthermore revoluble about the pivot d and has in the rear an elongation b2, which serves as a closing for the launching-tube Z. The beam may be brought from its p osition of rest, Fig. 1, into the fighting positlon, Fig. 2, by being turned outward by means of the spindle p and draw-rod g, while the eX- tension b2 lodges itself in a cut Z of the launching-tube, so as to completely release the latter. On the latter moves forward the nut fm, having its guiding in the box K. oluble about pivot g2 and secured with its other extremity to the guide-beam, turns the beam outwardly, and the rearward elongation b? lodges itself in the cut Z of the launchingtube, so that the T-shaped groove b', provided in the guide-beam, forms a continuation of the T-shaped groove Z2 fitted in thev launching-tube. In this manner the torpedo receives outward guiding when being launched, and is held in its position by the guide-beam The rod g, revwhen leaving the broadside ot the vessel, until the tail end of the torpedo is free et the broadside. At the same time the torpedo is released from the guide-beam.

It must be pointed out as particularly important that the turning-pivot (Z, as shown by Fig. S, is so lodged as to be extractable and packed by a stuffing-box, thus forming a device by means of which it is made possible to easily disconnect the guide-beam from Within the vessel from the launchingtube by drawing out the pivot in case the guide-beam gets out of order and cannot be returned into its inoperative position. In such a contingency merely the fastening-bolt of the fork g,after the pivot (Z has been drawn out, need be removed by a diver, said bolt being for this purpose provided with an appropriate fastening meansin this ease a Wedge.

The improved arrangement ailords a material advantage over the heretofore usual constructions With a bearing-beam adapted to be shifted out, with which constructions it is impossible to withdraw such beam in case of average. Under these circumstances it is, furthermore, matter ot' great difficulties to remove the beam from the launching-tube. A vessel thus in average would not be able to pass through the sluicegates of a lock.

It is evident that the draw-rod g takes up the whole pressure exerted by the passing water on the beam. The latter receives by the support near its outer end a far greater resistant capacity than the hitherto used guide-beam disposed to be shifted out, for which any support outside the vessel is absent.

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention,what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. The combination of launching-tube Z, ar

ranged inside the ship, with guide-beam Z), ar-

ranged outside the ship at or Within the broadside, said guide-beam having its one end connected with tube Z by removable pivot (Z and its other end secured to movable connectingrod g by removable pivot g2, said rod g being adapted to turn guide-beam Z1 outward, for the purpose as described.

2. The combination of launching-tube Z, arranged inside the ship and having recess Z', with guide-beam l), arranged outside the ship at or within the broadside and having elongation b2, adapted to close opening of tube Z, as well as to enter recess Z, said guide-beam having its one end connected with tube Z by removable pivot (Z and its other end secured to movable connecting-rod g by removable pivot g2, said rod g being adapted to turn guidebeam Z1 outward, tor the purpose as described.

The combination ot' launching-tube Z, arranged inside the ship and having groove Z2, with guidc-bean1 Z), arranged outside the ship at or Within the broadside and having groove b, adapted to guide torpedoes from tube Z into the Water, said guide-beam having its one end connected with tube Z by removable pivot (Z and its other end secured to movable connecting-rod g by removable pivot g2, said rod g being adapted to turn guide-beam b outward,

for the purpose as described. 

